Florida Church Drummer Killed By Cop Had A Gun, But Never Fired It

A popular Florida church drummer, who was shot and killed by a plainclothes police officer on Sunday as he waited for a tow truck, had a gun but never fired it, his family’s lawyer tells The New York Times.

The drummer, Corey Jones, 31, was stopped alongside Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County at about 3:15 a.m. Sunday when he was approached by Nouman K. Raja, a plainclothes Palm Beach Gardens, Florida police officer who was driving an unmarked vehicle, the Times notes.

Moments later, Raja fired his weapon, claiming he was confronted by Jones, who allegedly was holding a firearm, the report says.

But the police say that Mr. Jones was holding his weapon as the officer approached, and that the gun was found at the scene, an account that contrasts sharply with other cases in which victims were found to have been unarmed. The police have declined to say how many times the officer fired his weapon, whether words were exchanged or whether Mr. Jones was pointing his weapon.

“We have confirmed that Corey never fired his gun,” said Benjamin L. Crump, a lawyer for Mr. Jones’s family, citing information he said had been provided by the state attorney. “It really makes you wonder why the officer fired his.”

Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton has been outspoken about shootings of Blacks by police, and plans to visit the family in a show of support, according to a statement to NewsOne:

“I have talked to the family members and the attorney of Mr. Jones and at their request, have decided to become involved in seeking the facts, and based upon the facts, justice in this case. Though I will not be at the rally today, I do intend to be in Palm Beach County in a matter of days based on the request and guidance of the family and their attorney.”

Sharpton calls preliminary facts given to the family by police “disturbing and troubling.” He plans to lend his full support in the pursuit of justice in the case, the statement says.